Date Recipes

Mascarpone stuffed dates couldn't be a simpler appetizer to assemble. I used Deglet Noor dates, which are firm and not overly-sweet. FIrst, I pitted them and stuffed them with a coffee and rosemary-flavored mascarpone cream. This could surprise, but coffee pairs incredibly well with meat and with the addition of earthy rosemary, the duck prosciutto didn't feel lonely. These appetizers made a greatsnack; baby Aria and I enjoyed them a lot!

Please save the date for my upcoming book signing appearances. The next ones are taking place at Barnes and Noble. If you're in the Bay Area, be sure to stop by Barnes and Noble Blossom Hill, 5353 Almaden Expressway, Building B in San Jose, California. I'll be doing a cooking demo, followed by a book signing, on July 5th at noon.

It may be almost sacrilegious to say at this time of the year, but a turkey is not right for everyone. While the big bird (sorry Sesame Street fans) parked on your dinner table, roasted to perfection looks great, if you're having an intimate gathering it can just be too much.

A beautifully roasted chicken is a completely reasonable option, and I've shared one today that uses a sumptuous combination of Medjool dates, date syrup, date molasses and green olives. If you follow the instructions carefully, your chicken will turn out moist and succulent, and more important, won't have you pining for what Benjamin Franklin suggested as our national bird. You can thank my citizenship test prep for that reference!

During Thanksgiving, we usually end up so full that we don’t eat the desserts until the following day. This year I'm planning on serving miniature pecan pies so everyone can enjoy the dessert on Thanksgiving Day. Pecan pie is my husband Lulu’s favorite Thanksgiving treat, and I hope he enjoys this version flavored with orange and date syrup. The key to any pecan pie is to overload the pecan flavor, which is my primary objection to the ones sold in bakeries. The reason is probably that pecans are so expensive.

The citrus flavor comes from the combination of orange concentrate and orange peels. It gives the pie just a hint of tartness to cut through what is admittedly a very sweet dessert. So this Thanksgiving, consider going mini for your desserts. You and your guests will love them!

This date cake is inspired by a Canadian dessert. My sister-in-law Lya's friend, Haley, recently made a delicious, moist maple cake. It was so good Lya asked if she could have the recipe so I could replicate it for the family. I didn’t have any maple on hand so I made a variation using date syrup and dried dates.

The cake turned out absolutely divine. It's so moist! But the best part is the date syrup glaze that is a great reminder of the flavor of the dessert and a way to seal the cake for extra freshness, even the next day. Ours didn't make it that far!

Have you ever had trouble serving baklava? It gets sticky, messy and difficult to handle. I found a solution by using shredded phyllo dough instead of sheets of phyllo dough and baking it in individual molds. They tend to trap the syrupy goodness in their web instead of getting soaked and sticky. Since it's the holidays, I wanted to add the flavor of Christmas to the baklava, so I added chestnuts. I layered both chestnut puréeand roasted chestnuts into the baklava, along with crushed pistachios for color and flavor. I also substituted date syrup for honey, which added a depth of flavor and a strong contrast of color.

If you're looking for a dessert recipe for the holidays that's easy to make but looks elegant, consider baklava. It's an easy, stress-free dessert that is sure to please everyone.

I used pure, organic date syrup from Organics Are For Everyone. If you've never tried date syrup before, you're in for a treat. You can use it in place of just about any syrup. Date syrup has a mild tanginess to it that balances the sweetness. I especially like it on waffles, pancakes and French toast. For a chance to win two jars of date syrup from Organics Are For Everyone, enter today's 25 Days of Giveaways contest. And if you're interested in making this recipe today, you can get a 20% discount from Organics Are For Everyone by using the "FATALE" promo code (good till 12/21).